


Life Changes

by Cat2000, Hope1iz



Category: House M.D., Numb3rs (TV)
Genre: BDSM, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:40:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26794516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat2000/pseuds/Cat2000, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hope1iz/pseuds/Hope1iz
Summary: Disclaimer: We own nothing from House or Numb3rs and are making nothing from this story.Summary: Follows The Roles We Play. New relationships, platonic and otherwise.
Relationships: Don Eppes/Colby Granger, Ian Edgerton/Don Eppes/Colby Granger, Robert Chase/Greg House
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Life Changes

**Author's Note:**

> Warning(s): Explicit sexual situations; M/m D/s relationship; Spoilers for House and Numb3rs.  
> Authors: BlackFox12 and Hope1iz  
> Pairings: House/Chase; Don/Colby; Don/Ian/Colby

House had never really expected things to be able to go back to normal. Every time he walked into the hospital it was to be hit by the same sense of loss. It hadn't got better over time and he was beginning to think that it never would, at least while he stayed at his current place of work.

It was for this reason that House was sitting in the main room of the apartment, looking at paperwork spread out on the coffee table; paperwork indicating other hospitals he could transfer to. The further away from all of the memories, the better.

Chase walked into the room quietly, watching his lover. A worried and sad frown marred his face. Sighing softly, he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease some of the ache caused by stress and tension. It had been a difficult year... more for House than for him, but as he loved the older man (even if he never used the words), what hurt House _did_ hurt him. And he'd been friends with Wilson, even if they hadn't been close. Now... he continued to watch House. He was afraid he was about to lose his boyfriend. It was obvious the older man was looking to leave; and he hadn't asked Chase to go with him.

"You waiting for an invitation to come and sit down?" House muttered the words without looking up at Chase. He didn't really know how to outright ask for Chase's company. Using sarcasm as deflection was easier. And while all of the papers were spread over the table, he'd made a point of leaving the seat next to him open.

Chase snorted, a tiny smile briefly crossing his face before he moved to sit next to House. His body was tense, and he couldn't bring himself to look the older man in the eye. His anxiety at the idea of being left behind was resulting in him acting suspicious- almost guilty. He didn't realize it, though. He was trying to make things easy for House. If his lover felt the need to go and leave him behind, he wouldn't make him feel bad about it. He wouldn't beg him to stay, even if it ripped him apart inside.

"LA's supposed to be good." House's comment was out of the blue, seemingly. He noticed how Chase was acting and commented, "You're twitching like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and crumbs all over his face."

"Good for what?" Chase responded, in a snotty tone. Okay. He didn't sound bitter, at all, he thought morosely. And then the rest of House's comment penetrated his feeling sorry for himself and he flushed. He didn't dispute it, wasn't sure he had a leg to stand on with denying it, but now he was not only refusing to meet House's eyes, he was staring at the ground and hunching in on himself.

"For a transfer." House sat back slightly, pushing the paperwork towards Chase. "I can't stay here," he admitted. "Everything makes...It's just all _him_." He grimaced sure he wasn't explaining himself well. "I don't want to force you into anything, but it'll be a lot more difficult if you weren't around."

"I understand... he was your best friend. Family. All the reminders... I think you're right that it would be good for you to get away from it." He swallowed, straightening and taking the papers to look at them. "You want me to go with you?" He winced at the hopeful, almost timid sound in his voice. Okay. He knew he'd been upset at the thought of House leaving him behind, but he didn't realize how scared he'd been to think the older man wouldn't want him.

House cleared his throat and nodded, gesturing towards the paperwork. "I didn't say anything until now because I was looking for the right place."

Chase finally looked up at that. The relief was clear on his face. He was unable to hide that he'd been worried about it. "So... you, uh... think you've found the place?" He looked at the papers again. The hospital House had looked to transfer to, had several openings, two of which fit his and House's specialties perfectly.

House nodded. "What do you think?" He watched Chase's face; for a change, not using sarcasm to deflect. It was important to him that his lover be okay with this.

"I think if they hire both of us, it will be perfect... and if they only hired you, I... could look into other hospitals near there..." Chase offered hesitantly, hoping House understood he wanted to stay with him.

"You're willing to come?" House asked, to clarify. "You _want_ to come?"

Chase licked his lip and looked away for a second, blushing. "I was afraid you might not want me to," he admitted. "The thought of being left behind..." His voice caught.

"I know I'm a bit of an asshole sometimes...okay, a lot of the time," House acknowledged. "But we're in a relationship. I'd rather you were with me than not."

Chase blushed more darkly, shrugging in on himself. "Was afraid you might want a completely fresh start without me...." He sounded as embarrassed as he looked. It didn't happen often, but his insecurities didn't often leave room for common sense, like the fact if House didn't want him anymore, he'd say so... not beat around the bush.

"If I didn't want you around, or to be with you, I'd tell you directly," House responded. "I wouldn't string you along."

"I... I know that in my head..." Chase sighed and reached back, rubbing the tension in his neck again. "You know I'm not real great with relationships...."

"And you know we have that in common," House said. "But even if I don't say it as much as maybe I should, I want you around. I want to be with you."

Chase sighed, visibly relaxing at the words. He looked up and gave House a sweet smile. "I want to be with you... wherever you are. However long you want me."

"There isn't going to be a time I _don't_ want you." House wrapped his arm around Chase's shoulders.

Taking the action as an invitation, Chase scooted closer to his lover. "So, we should probably apply for these positions as soon as possible."

"If you grab my laptop, I've got the site up with the contact and application details," House answered, hugging Chase a bit tighter against his side.

"Sure thing..." Chase grinned, taking the opportunity to sneak in a snuggle. His boyfriend wasn't usually the cuddly type. He then got up and retrieved the laptop, bringing it to House.

House brought up the page on the laptop. "So, I filled everything out for both of us," he admitted. "All it's waiting for is your confirmation."

Chase quickly read over the information before signing where necessary. "You know me so well, I didn't really need to read at all," he teased.

"I would hope so, given how long we worked together before we even started dating," House commented.

Chase grinned at that. "And given that you were my teacher and mentor...."

"Yeah, good job we dropped _that_ part of our relationship," House responded.

Chase laughed at that. "Some parts of that weren't so bad..." He winked.

House leaned in and kissed Chase, before commenting, "It was certainly something that concerned Cuddy. But she always worries so much anyway. She'll give herself ulcers." The words might have been flippant, but he still worried about her. Even if their friendship was tense now that Wilson was gone.

"To be fair. I think she was more worried about Allison than me..." Chase snorted.

"Well, we all know Cameron's looking mainly for a project to fix. And for all she wanted to date me at first, I'm sure it was with the misguided idea of 'fixing' me," House said. "Mentally and emotionally, if not physically."

"Yeah. She tried to fix me too..." Chase grimaced.

"She's been trying to 'help' me since Wilson." House sighed. "She won't listen to me when I tell her it just makes things worse."

Chase nodded, looking down. "I... I wish I knew how to make it better..." he finally said. This was a situation he felt helpless and useless in.

"We have to deal with death on a daily basis," House said. "You'd think that would have prepared us for something like this."

"It's easier to step back and keep a wall up if you don’t know the person..." Chase sighed.

"It'll be better if you pass the news of our move onto Cameron," House said. "If she hears it from me, she'll just start being Cameron. And that's just exhausting."

"Yeah. I'll do that. You want to let Foreman know? I think he'd appreciate hearing it from you." Chase didn't comment on the fact that Cameron would blame him for House leaving or would try to enlist his help to change House's mind.

House nodded. "I'll tell Cuddy, too. Though she won't be that surprised," he commented.

"She would encourage it. Might want to come too..." Chase nodded.

"I'm sure I can talk her out of that," House commented.

"Oh. She wouldn't leave here. No matter how much she wanted to. She has a good position. Leaving would be a demotion. And she has everything all planned for the baby here. She wouldn't go without tons of research on daycares and schools." Chase chuckled.

"How do you feel about it just being the two of us?" House asked, moving enough so that they were pressed together, shoulder to leg.

"Starting fresh where no one knows us from before and doesn't have opinions on our lifestyle because of it? Got to admit, it appeals," Chase said.

"Anyone you'll miss here?" House asked.

"I dunno. I'm friendly with Foreman, Cameron, Cuddy... but even if I might miss them a little, it doesn't make me not want to go," Chase said.

"Well, we can arrange visits," House commented. "Whether we're coming back here or inviting them to LA."

"Of course," Chase shifted closer to House, taking advantage of the affection he'd offered and cuddling close. "We can send this off tomorrow and hopefully hear in a week or two if we have an interview."

House let his arms wrap around Chase, holding onto the younger man. "You can always take a look at the other listings. See if you have any preferences for a second choice if LA's not possible."

"Hedge our bets? Might be a good idea. I have no doubt they'll want you. You're brilliant and everyone knows it. Me? Not so much..." He gave a self-deprecating smile and reached out to pick up the other listings to see if any of them suited him. They had to be close to LA, though. He knew House would get an offer there, so he wanted to be close.

"You don't give yourself nearly enough credit," House said. "I might be brilliant, but I'm also a hell of a lot of work to deal with. I'm talking about _both_ of us having second choices."

Chase looked up at that and bit his lip. "This one sounds good. It isn't as prestigious as the other one. It's still in LA and has a good physiotherapy department. That'd be good for your leg..."

House nodded. "We'll apply there too." He let his arm wrap around Chase's waist, drawing the other man flush against his body.

Chase swallowed and relaxed into his lover. "This could be good for us..." he whispered. He didn't care why House was being so affectionate. He was just grateful for it; he'd been so scared House was leaving him.

"Moving away is going to be better than staying," House agreed. He allowed his other arm to slide up Chase's back, under his shirt.

Chase let out a tiny little whimper at the action, shifting so House had better access.

Taking the sound and movement as encouragement, House pulled his shirt completely free and then turned his attention to Chase's pants, stripping him entirely naked.

Chuckling softly, Chase loosened enough so House could undress him. He let his own hands roam over House, loosening the older man's clothing, but not removing it until House indicated it was okay.

"Go ahead," House encouraged, letting his hands slide over Chase's naked form.

Giving a tiny, playful growl, Chase began to remove House's clothing. As soon as they were both naked, he pressed as close as possible to his mate, rubbing wantonly against him.

House lowered them carefully to the couch. He'd done this enough times by now to adjust to his leg. He kissed Chase deeply, hands rubbing down the other man's back and over his hips.

Chase's breathing became more rapid and the noises he made became needier. He looked into House's eyes; his feelings clear on his face. He loved the older man; he didn't often say it out loud, but it was clear on his face and in all his responses.

House continued stroking his hands down Chase's hips, bottom and legs. He then began to rub up Chase's front, over his stomach, chest...lightly squeezing each nipple.

Chase's quick intake of breath and whimper was shaky. He arched his back, pressing his nipples further into House's grasp.

Smiling at Chase's reactions, House gave each nipple a firmer squeeze and then leaned in to kiss him.

Chase kissed back, eagerly and almost hungry with need. He was fully aroused just from what little House had already done.

House kissed a bit more firmly and a bit more deeply, squeezing each of the younger man's nipples before saying, "Why don't you grab what we need for the next step?"

Chase took a shaky breath and nodded. "...Yeah..." he mumbled agreeably, before extricating himself from House's arms and moving into the bedroom, where the dresser with one full drawer designated for their 'supplies' was kept. He gathered several items before quickly returning to House.

House reached out to draw Chase back into his arms, resuming the stroking and caressing of the younger man. He leaned in and kissed Chase deeply.

Chase returned the kiss languidly, if a bit eagerly. He let his arms wrap around House tightly.

House kissed a bit more and then reached for two of the items: a blindfold and silken rope. Pausing to give Chase a chance to safe word, if he needed to, he then proceeded to blindfold and tie the younger man.

Chase shivered as his sight darkened and he had to rely on his hearing and spatial sense to know where his lover was. When he felt himself tied, arms held immobile and stretched above his head, and legs tied in such a way that his body was exposed, open and vulnerable, his breathing increased, and he couldn't help a sense of excited nervousness. Anticipation, not knowing how House would make use of his vulnerability and immobility.

Once Chase was positioned the way House wanted him, he picked up one of the items the younger man had brought: a feather. Slowly, gently, he began to run the feather over Chase's body; not keeping to any particular pattern, so that it was impossible to tell where he would touch next.

To Chase's embarrassment, he couldn't stop himself from squirming immediately. He only barely kept himself from giggling and even then, the sounds he was making were a mix of bubbling joy and need. His nipples were hard pebbles. It didn't take long for his member to be just as hard.

Smiling at his boyfriend's responses, House continued to trace the feather over Chase's body a bit more. He then picked up the candle and the lighter. Lighting the wick, he then carefully allowed the hot wax to drip gently onto Chase's chest. He was very careful not to allow too much to fall at once.

Chase gasped, groaning softly as the melted wax dripped on him. It was hot enough to startle; the fact he wasn't sure where it would land caused him to tense up as he waited for each drop to land. It wasn't painful, though. He moaned softly and bit his lip, fighting the impulse to begin begging for House to drip the wax on more sensitive areas.

House let the wax drip a little bit lower; still keeping a careful control over the candle. He let one or two drops fall onto each nipple, then leaned forward to take each one into his mouth.

Chase moaned as the wax continued to drip, but when House latched on with his mouth, he couldn't stop the sob of need, or the way his body arched into the older man in offering.

House continued until each nipple was reduced to a hard, pebbled state and then he began to suck and kiss lower, moving towards Chase's groin.

Chase was gurgling by this point. His member was aching, straining toward his lover, weeping tiny drops of precum. He couldn't hold still to save his life, the ties barely keeping him in place. House being on top of him provided a little more stability, but if the older man wanted him completely still, he'd have to hold him in place.

As soon as he reached Chase's member, House took it into his mouth. He took a firm grip of the younger man's hips to hold him still as he did so.

Chase began to softly sob and moan as he felt himself further restrained. He began to babble, "...So good, feels so good Master..." and, "...B'long to you, love..." and other words mixed in with House's name, the term Master and names of endearment. He wasn't terribly coherent, and he was crying with need.

House gripped Chase's hips more firmly, almost to the point of being painful. He began to suck the other man's member a bit harder.

It finally reached a point the only sound Chase could make was a needy, keening sound. His hips twitched in House's grip, the older man's strength keeping him in place; though there would be bruises, most likely. His member pulsed in House's mouth. He was on the edge of release.

House's fingers flexed on Chase's hips, encouraging the younger man to let go.

Chase knew his lover's motions and he knew what he meant. Immediately upon being given his 'directions', Chase began to spasm in release, wave after wave coursing through his body. His release shot out of him for long moments until he finally slumped, weak as a kitten, empty and dry.

Once Chase's release had finished, House released his lover's member. He then rolled Chase over onto his stomach. Grabbing the lube, he coated himself and then pushed inside the other man.

Chase was only disoriented for a few seconds after he was flipped; feeling his lover over him, he focused on that feeling, listened for the sounds House would make, focused on how it felt, since he couldn't move or see. He let out a long, happy sigh as he felt his lover push in, stretching him. "...So good..." He moaned softly.

House slid his hands down Chase's thighs, squeezing and caressing, as he began to thrust into the other man. He pressed a hard kiss to Chase's shoulder and then a matching one to the other side.

Chase groaned softly in pleasure at the actions. Maybe he wasn't aroused any longer- his release had left him drowsy and relaxed- but it felt so good to him, feeling his lover moving on and inside of him. It felt so good, hearing House's own sounds of need and pleasure. He was hyper aware of how everything felt and sounded, given he couldn't move or see.

It didn't take long for House's release to hit him. His hands tightened on Chase's hips as he slumped over his lover's body, the waves of his orgasm flooding over him.

Chase let out a happy moan, grunting softly as he felt House's release pool in his gut. "Love you..." he whispered. He didn't tend to say that often. His and House's relationship wasn't sentimental. But when he was joined to his lover in this way, it was easier to be open and honest about his feelings and how much House meant to him.

House kissed his shoulder again, softer this time. "I love you too," he murmured, his voice raw with emotion and honesty.

Chase smiled at that, his face serene and peaceful. He was where he needed to be, where he belonged, in his lover's arms. And he'd be going with his mate wherever he ended up, because House wasn't breaking up with him. House still wanted him. His fears had been baseless. "Sorry I was an insecure idiot..." he muttered, in a sheepishly apologetic voice. "Can't see how I ever thought you didn't want me anymore, _now_ ". He squeezed gently around his mate's member and snuggled back so House slid in just a little deeper and was pressed closer to his back.

"If I broke up with you, there's a lot I'd be missing out on. And I'm not even talking about the great sex." House let his arms slide around Chase's waist, clasping the younger man possessively to himself.

"The great sex isn't even in the top three of what I'd miss... considering _how_ great it is..." Chase chuckled quietly. "I never could get enough of you taking me... claiming me...."

"I feel exactly the same," House said. "Even if I don't always say it." He kissed the side of Chase's neck.

"Hey... moving. We wouldn't be in the same department anymore... we wouldn't have to keep our relationship hidden from higher ups anymore!" Chase said, a hopefully optimistic tone in his voice.

"That's a clear advantage," House agreed. "Being a couple out in the open _all_ the time."

"A pretty big one..." Chase admitted. It had bothered him they couldn't be open.

House kissed his shoulder. "So, no reason for you to flirt with anyone at the new hospital." He was mostly joking.

"Now I can flirt with the only one I truly want..." Chase said honestly, not joking in the least. "You know I only ever did that to keep up appearances, right? It never meant anything when I flirted with others...." His look was earnestly apologetic. He'd not even flirted that often; only when the people in charge started questioning his loyalty to House and implying it was 'unnatural' or 'unhealthy'.

"I know," House replied. "If I thought you would ever be unfaithful, I wouldn't be in this relationship with you now." He carefully removed the blindfold and ties from the other man.

As soon as the restraints were removed, implying he was free to move as he wished, Chase threw his arms around House and held tight. "I love you so much..." he said impulsively, still feeling vulnerable and submissive enough to not be guarded with this words or actions. He belonged to the older man, body and heart and he wouldn't hide it.

House wrapped his arms around Chase, just as tight, allowing his hands to run over the other man's back. "I love you too," he murmured into Chase's hair.

Chase didn't loosen his hold at all, suddenly desperate to make House feel how much he was loved and needed. Still, it had been a long and tiring day, even before House had brought up moving and then the physical exertion after, even if it was pleasurable, had taken what remained of his energy. He still needed a shower, but he couldn't help yawning.

House noticed Chase was yawning and stroked his fingers through his lover's hair. "You're worn down." His voice was filled with concern. "If you don't feel up to having a shower, we can use a washcloth before taking a nap."

"I can stay awake long enough for a shower... then sleep?" Chase found himself asking. He was still submissive enough that he'd let his lover direct him for now.

House nodded. "Maybe I'd better shower with you. Just in case you fall asleep in there."

"I'd like that..." Chase smiled.

House stood up. His arms were still wrapped around Chase, so he ended up pulling his lover up with him.

Chase giggled as he leaned heavily on House. "We both have tomorrow off, don't we?" he asked.

"We do," House agreed, leading Chase to the bathroom. "Did you have any ideas how we can spend it?"

"Stay in bed and 'play doctor'..." Chase teasingly leered.

Chuckling, House headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, moving them both under the spray. "And who's going to be the patient?" he asked, amused.

Chase grinned. "We can take turns! First, I get to examine, then you get to...." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Sounds like a plan," House agreed. He began to clean Chase off.

Chase hummed happily as his mate cleaned him, washing House off as well. Soon, they were both clean and toweling each other off.

As soon as they were both dried off, House wrapped his arms around Chase and led the younger man through to the bedroom.

"Sleep like this?" Chase grinned. He loved skin on skin contact with his mate.

"Of course," House agreed, settling down on the bed with his lover.

Chase waited for House to get comfortable and then settled beside him, wrapping around him and pressing close as possible. He wasn't normally this cuddly or needy, but emotions had been and still were high and he felt needy.

House wrapped his arms tighter around Chase, rubbing his lover's hair and back. The two of them were entwined together and that felt right.

"G'night, love," Chase whispered, before falling asleep.

"Good night," House murmured in return, before falling asleep himself.

***

Colby had got out of the hospital a week before, but he was still on sick leave. His first follow-up check-up to make sure he was healing well was today and he wasn't looking forward to it. For one thing, he didn't like seeing doctors. For another, his primary care doctor had retired and given his practice to another doctor, Colby had never met before. And finally (and most importantly) Don and Ian were worried about how he was recovering and had decided to accompany him. There would be no hiding things from the doctor with them there and if he tried to keep the other two out of the room (as was his legal right), he'd have to deal with a worried and hurt Don the rest of the day, so keeping them out wasn't really an option. Sighing mentally, he slowly hobbled his way into the waiting room, Don and Ian hovering on either side and checked in. "I'm here for my 10am appointment. Colby Granger..."

"Ah, yes. It appears you will be seeing Dr. Gregory House today..." The receptionist handed him a clipboard. "Please fill this out and Dr. House will see you shortly."

"There's more than one doctor?" Colby asked, confused. His original doctor had held the office on his own.

"Yes. Dr. House's partner, Dr. Robert Chase." The receptionist smiled.

Colby nodded and hobbled to a nearby seat.

Don was hovering around Colby, unable to sit or stand still. He was still more than a little worried about his lover and partner. In comparison, Ian stood calmly and quietly, arms crossed over his chest, back against the wall.

A few minutes later, House was walking into the waiting room. He looked at each of the three men in turn before saying, "Well, I'm assuming you're not _all_ Colby Granger."

Colby flushed and slowly stood, stepping toward House. "I'm Colby Granger..." He didn't introduce Ian or Don. Even if it was rude, they were in public and he wasn't sure if he should be honest about introducing them as who they really were to him or keep it to work-safe introductions.

House glanced at the two men and then at Colby. "You want them in or out?"

Don cleared his throat, taking a step forward.

House looked at him. "I wasn't asking you."

Colby flushed again. "They should come in..."

"You can say no," House commented. "Doctor-patient confidentiality and all that, you know?"

Colby smiled crookedly. "They'd end up finding out after anyway. If they're there, they can ask questions and get a coherent answer instead of relying on my memory." Or his willingness to talk, was left unsaid.

House nodded. "Well, we're in examination room one. Follow me." He began heading in that direction.

Don moved forward, in case Colby needed to lean on him, but not forcing his lover to.

Colby did his best to walk on his own, without help, while in the more public area, but as soon as they were away from sight of the other patients, he immediately leaned on Don. It was obviously putting a strain on him, being up and walking.

Ian immediately moved to assist Don in helping. "You should have said something, Niñito. We could have got you a wheelchair..." he gently scolded.

House paused, glancing towards them. "It's not too late to grab one," he commented.

Don wrapped his arm tight around Colby's waist, supporting the other man. "I can carry you, love," he murmured.

"I can make it..." Colby grit his teeth. He was tired of being helpless... weak.

"You know what happens to people who ignore their injuries because they're too stubborn to accept help?" House asked, in an almost conversational tone. "Accept the help. Be thankful you actually have someone to offer it. Two someone's," he added, including Ian in that.

Colby swallowed and gave House a disgruntled look before sighing and looking down. "If it's much further, maybe I should..." He bit his lip and clutched onto Don and Ian, as his leg locked up and he stumbled.

Don didn't waste any time in gathering Colby into his arms, carrying him easily.

Colby blushed, but didn't fight or protest.

Soon, all three had moved into the examining room. Ian moved to the side and out of the way, but where he could see and hear everything.

Don carefully set Colby down on the examination table.

"This'll probably be easier if you strip," House said.

Colby looked reluctant but didn't argue. He began to remove his clothes.

Don hovered close, almost protectively, over Colby.

"Yeah, I'll need you to step aside," House said to Don. "You're in the way of me examining my patient."

Colby smiled at Don to encourage him. "It's okay, love."

Don stepped back, but only just enough to allow House to examine his lover. He watched closely, only those who knew him well able to see just how tense he really was.

Once Colby was completely naked, he sat straight so House could examine him. The brand wasn't easily seen with him sitting, but the bandage could be seen peeking out.

House examined Colby carefully and thoroughly. By the time he was finished, he was able to catalog each of Colby's injuries and the status that each was at.

"So is the brand burn healing well?" Ian asked, worried.

"The antibiotics are working," House replied. "Still a way to go until it's all healed up, but it's looking much better than it was."

Don flinched visibly at the mention of the brand.

"Thank you..." Colby said softly. "Do... do you think the scar will fade?" He didn't want a reminder of the psychopath who had kidnapped him.

"The brand isn't going to fade on its own," House answered. "But you have other options. You have tattoos already. You can get one to cover those letters."

Colby swallowed and looked toward Don. He wasn't going to do anything without his master's approval. 

Ian cleared his throat. "I know a tattoo that I'd like to see covering it." He'd been helping Don with Colby, helping Don, since bringing Colby back home. In that short time, he'd cone to care for both men. He hadn't said anything yet, but this seemed like a good opportunity to at least nudge them into seeing his feelings so they could talk later.

Don moved his hand to Colby's shoulder, squeezing gently, even as he looked towards Ian, curious. "What kind?" he asked.

"A protection sigil," Ian admitted. "Surrounded by our initials...."

Colby grinned at that. "Considering how you two always protect me... It fits."

A knock sounded on the door, waiting a few seconds before Chase slipped through the door. He only blinked for a second at seeing three men there. "Hello..." He nodded at the men, before glancing at House. "The files from the hospital finally arrived. I figured you'd want them immediately."

"It would be a good fit," Don agreed, though there was a hint of guilt in his voice. After all, he hadn't managed to protect Colby from getting hurt on the op they'd been on.

House nodded and took the files from Chase, giving his arm a light squeeze. "Thanks."

Chase smiled at House, not keeping the love or adoration out of his gaze. When he'd determined he would move with House so they could be together and not hide their relationship, he'd meant it. He turned his more professional gaze onto the other three men. "Hello, I'm Dr. Robert Chase. Dr. House's partner."

"Don Eppes. This is my partner, Colby Granger." Don didn't introduce Ian, even though he moved to obviously include the other man. He wasn't Ian's Dom and they hadn't talked about where the relationship between the three of them was moving to yet.

"Ian Edgerton... work colleague and close friend to both these gentlemen..." Ian gave a friendly smile.

Chase nodded, before glancing between the three and House. "It's unusual to have two people joining a patient in the examining room unless the patient is a minor or not legally capable of making decisions for themselves...." he started out hesitantly. Having read the chart, he knew the signs of a BDSM relationship gone wrong. However, the two men with Colby weren't giving off dangerous vibes. Granted, abusers could and did hide very well... they wouldn't get away with it so often if they didn't. He wouldn't outright make accusations without proof, either. Plus... House wasn't blind, and he would have noticed the same things Chase did. He looked at House.

House had noticed the same kind of things as Chase. But he'd given Colby the option to be examined alone and had taken in the protective way both Don and Ian had hovered around the other man.

"We work with the FBI," Don said. "Colby was hurt on an op I was responsible for." Of course, his real meaning might have been, 'I was responsible for my partner getting hurt.'

Chase blinked at that, watching Colby to see how the younger man reacted to the statement. Instead of acting scared and like he was hiding something, Colby was looking at Don with a love filled gaze and a firm grimace.

"You did everything you could. We didn't know the killer was working with his sub...." Colby stated.

"Maybe if I'd got Charlie better information...." Logically, Don knew Colby was right. That still didn't stop him feeling guilty, though.

House eyed Don and Colby with some interest. "You went undercover in a BDSM club?"

Colby nodded. "Yeah. There were several people killed... the one connection was this BDSM club. It... it had people of power protecting it because it had very unsafe practices. We had to go in... Don had to pretend to like the unsafe things. He avoided hurting me as much as possible, though..." Colby said firmly, trying to soothe Don's guilt.

"Has... has anyone talked to you, both of you, about counseling? It's obvious that you were a victim of a horrible attack." Chase looked at Colby. "But you weren't able to stop it and you obviously are having difficulty with that knowledge..." he said hesitantly to Don.

"Counselling's been recommended," Don replied.

"You need someone with enough experience in the lifestyle," House said. "We can probably recommend someone."

Colby straightened at that. "You are familiar with the lifestyle?" he asked. If his doctor was familiar, it made him feel better about becoming a patient.

"We are. If you have questions about safety or other items... it's better to ask than to experiment and get hurt accidentally," Chase said. "I could get some information together for you, mail it, if that's alright, sir..." He turned toward House, asking permission. Not only because Colby was House's patient and he didn't want to step on his toes, but because, 90 percent of the time, he was submissive to his lover and he thought it might help Colby to see it in action.

House nodded to Chase. "Like you said. It's better to give the information, rather than experiment and have something go wrong."

Chase smiled at House before nodding at the other three. "Gentlemen..." Leaving the files with House, he let himself out of the room.

"I... it's nice... knowing my doctor will understand our unique situation." Colby sounded much more secure.

"You're not as alone as you might think," House said calmly. He finished his examination and nodded. "You can get dressed now. Or let your Dom dress you, if you'd prefer."

"Thank you..." Colby glanced toward Don. He wasn't feeling needy at the moment and could easily dress himself, but Don had been so worried. "Donnie?" His voice was soft and curious.

"What will make you feel better, Col?" Don focused on his lover. If he was completely honest, he'd probably feel better to dress the other man himself. But after everything that had happened, he didn't want to step in unless he could be certain Colby was fully okay and on board with it.

"I..." Colby paused, looking into Don's eyes before catching a slight nod from Ian from the corner of his eye. "...I always feel safe when you take care of me," he finally whispered. It was the truth and gave Don a reason to do what made him feel better without giving the impression he was feeling scared when he wasn't.

Don nodded and moved to begin dressing his lover, letting himself touch Colby every so often.

Ian smiled crooked at the sight, moving closer to House. "There anything I should keep an eye out for? That would make you want us to bring him in again right away, or take him to urgent care?" He spoke softly, so as not to worry Don further.

"Fever, temperature, skin swollen or hot to the touch, especially around the brand," House answered. "The infection's probably cleared up, but those are the danger signs to watch out for."

Ian nodded. "Not too much different than a gunshot wound, then," he murmured.

House glanced towards Don and Colby and then motioned with his head for Ian to move closer, so there'd be less chance of them being overheard. "The biggest problem is going to be the emotional one. You'll want to get that brand covered sooner rather than later. Having that constant reminder will cause more harm than good in the long run."

"More so for Don, somehow. Colby seems to be handling it better than expected, although that could be because he's so focused on trying to keep Don from feeling guilty..." Ian whispered back.

House nodded. "Get them both to a therapist. They need to speak to a professional."

"Yeah. I'll enlist some help in doing that..." Ian gave a rueful smile, knowing that he'd likely need the help of Don's entire family and team to convince the men.

"Good idea," House agreed. "Whatever it takes to get them emotionally healthy as well as physically."

"You have a recommendation of someone?" Ian asked.

"A couple," House replied. "I can give you their names now or include them in the pack Chase is putting together."

"Unless you think he'll have the pack ready by the time we are ready to leave, I should probably get them from you. The sooner I convince them, the better off they'll be..." Ian smiled.

House nodded and gave Ian the names. "They're both cleared to treat members of the FBI, so it's really down to personal preference."

"Thank you." Ian took the names, then glanced toward Colby and Don. Don had finished dressing Colby. "You guys ready, or do you have more questions?"

Don looked at Colby, resting his hand on his lover's shoulder. "Do you have anything you need to ask, love?" His voice was soft.

Colby blushed. "Not right now..." he mumbled softly.

Ian smirked slightly. "Just remember... if you can't bring yourself to talk about it, especially to your doctor, you shouldn't be doing it..." He wiggled his finger in a gently teasing manner.

Clearing his throat, House added, "And if you want to experiment in a safe way, there are some pointers we can give you." He shrugged. "You can think about it, at least."

"You have pointers?" Colby blinked in surprise, although he probably shouldn't have been. Both Dr. House and Dr. Chase had made it clear they were in a relationship.

"A few," House commented. He passed both Don and Colby a card with his cell number on. "If you need to call after hours." He was fairly certain Chase would include his own number in the pack, if either needed to talk to him.

"Thanks, Dr. House..." Colby gave a shy grin and slid the card into his pocket.

"Thank you," Don echoed, putting the card in his wallet and then wrapping his arm carefully around Colby's shoulders, speaking to both him and Ian. "Ready to go now?"

"Yeah." Colby sighed as Ian moved to his other side to help him. He was beginning to get tired, so didn't protest he could walk on his own.

With Ian's help, Don led Colby out of the examination room, heading towards the exit of the hospital and their car.

Chase had just finished with his own patient as they were leaving and walked over to stand next to House. "My next appointment is two hours from now; one of my appointments had to reschedule. Do you have time to get lunch?" he asked quietly, while watching the other men leave.

"I have time," House answered, letting his arm wrap around Chase's shoulders. Turning Chase's face towards him, he kissed him.

Chase returned the kiss happily. "Ready now?" he asked.

"More than ready." House pulled back from the kiss, but kept his arm wrapped around Chase as they left the hospital.

***

Ian drove as they head home. Glancing in the back seat where Colby had stretched out, he couldn't help smiling and then looking next to him where Don sat. "He's asleep..." He spoke quietly.

Don glanced at his submissive, stretched out in the back, and sighed. "Hopefully, he won't have any bad dreams." His voice was just as low.

"He seemed in a pretty good mood when we left... hopefully, it helped enough that the dreams will slow down..." Ian agreed. He glanced at Don again, trying to figure out how to bring up how he was feeling without offending or angering the other man. Don was very possessive of Colby and might not take it well that Ian loved the younger man too. Even if Ian also loved Don.

Don nodded, driving in silence for a few moments before he said, seriously, "Thank you for being here with us and supporting us. It means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to Colby too."

"I couldn't be anywhere else. Both of you are very important to me. I..." Ian paused. "I can't help thinking you had to notice. I... I love you both..." His voice was gruff, hesitant because he didn't know if Don would want to hear that, but sure it was true.

Don looked sideways at him. "The feeling's mutual, at least on my end," he said honestly. "Pretty sure it is Colby's, too. Given how he reacted to your suggestion about the tattoo."

"I... that's a relief. At least I don't have to hide how I feel..." Ian smiled crookedly. He wasn't going to suggest anything further. While he knew David, Charlie and Amita were in a threesome, that didn't mean Don and Colby would want that.

"When we get home and Colby's awake, we'll talk about what this means for all of us," Don said. "He might be my sub, but in this, we're still equal partners. I think having you involved will affect us for the better, but we need to have his honest input too."

Ian darted a glance at Don and relaxed when he saw the expression on his face. Don wasn't just suggesting it because he felt he had to. He was interested. "Yeah. Of course. We gotta protect our boy...." He smiled, more at ease. Soon, they were pulling into the parking lot of the apartment. "If he's interested... would you be interested in moving? Maybe investing in a house?"

"I think we'd have to." Don smiled. "It's a bit of a squeeze with the three of us in the apartment."

"That it is... if... if he isn't interested, I'll likely begin looking for a place of my own. The couch is okay for a short while, but it isn't a real bed..." He grinned.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary." Don smiled at Ian, then glanced out of the window as the other man pulled up and parked outside the apartment.

"Yeah... that's good to hear..." Ian smiled.

Don glanced over his shoulder, checking on Colby to see if he needed to wake the other man.

Colby was stretching and looking around blearily. "Home already? Stupid antibiotics make me so tired." He yawned.

"You can rest a bit more inside." Don moved round to help Colby out of the car.

"Yeah... okay..." Colby said agreeably.

Ian waited until they were both out of the car before locking it, then moved to Colby's other side to help.

Don wrapped his arm securely around Colby, leading him into the apartment with Ian's help.

"So... The new doctor won't be horrible to go to..." Colby said conversationally.

"Yeah. Might see about becoming his patient when I officially move here..." Ian stated.

Colby's eyes brightened. "You're gonna move here?"

"Yeah. Someone's gotta keep an eye on you two..." Ian teased.

"There's a conversation we need to have, the three of us," Don commented, squeezing Colby gently as they headed through to the main room.

Colby blinked, giving Don a slightly nervous look. "Good conversation or bad?" he asked, worried.

"It's not a bad conversation." Don sat down on the couch, settling Colby on his lap, leaving space next to them for Ian to sit as well.

Colby settled into place, giving both Don and Ian curious looks as Ian sat beside them, closer than usual.

"Ian said something to me when he was driving us home," Don said to Colby. "It didn't surprise me, and I suspect it won't surprise you either." He ran his fingers reassuringly over Colby's sides and down his hips.

Colby looked between the two men, a confused grin on his face. "So... what was said?" he finally asked.

Don looked encouragingly at Ian, knowing it was best if the other man was the one to say.

Colby looked at Ian again, listening intently when the older man explained his feelings and what he was hoping. When Ian finished, Colby slanted his head and swallowed. "I love you too. I hadn't thought about it going anywhere, because I'm Don's... but it sounds like he wants to include you..." He looked toward Don for confirmation.

Don nodded. "David, Charlie and Amita have been able to make a relationship work between the three of them. I can't see any reason why we can't work the same way. As long as we're all on board with this."

"How... I mean... you are in charge of me. Is Ian going to be too?" Colby asked hesitantly. "And are you two equal or...?"

"I think that's one of the things we need to talk about and decide," Don replied. "But I consider Ian as more of an equal to me."

Ian nodded. "I won't be making decisions for Don and he won't be making them for me. Whether I make decisions for you or not depends on if Don is there to give them himself. Between the two of us, you obey him first... but if he isn't there and I give you an order, I expect you to listen to me."

"So, you'd be like his second in command..." Colby nodded.

"That's assuming Don and you are okay with that," Ian said.

"It's something I'm on board with," Don said honestly. "But you need to be okay with it too, Colby. I don't want you to say yes just because you feel like you have to, or you want to make either of us happy." He gently squeezed the other man's hips. "You have as much say in this as any of us."

"I... I'm okay with it. Feels like what we've been doing since I came home anyway. It's just official now..." Colby smiled.

Ian chuckled. "Yeah. Try as I might, I couldn't keep myself from acting on my instincts with you. Both of you.:

Don smiled at both Ian and Colby. "I'm glad you didn't hold back," he said honestly. "I love you both and if we can have a relationship together, the three of us, that would be perfect."

"So... other than both of you outranking me..." Colby teased "What exactly...? How exactly...? I mean... I'm attracted to both of you..." he said quietly.

"What's worrying you?" Don asked softly.

"Are all three of us going to be lovers? Together? Or are we like... scheduling nights between which of us pairs up when?" Colby blushed.

"I think that depends on which way would work better for the three of us," Don said. "What do you two think?"

"I think that depends on what is needed, when. There might be sometimes, when one of us needs to connect with someone specifically. Having said that... one doesn't have to be directly involved to participate or be present. Watching is always fun..." Ian smirked.

Don smiled at that comment, even as he said, "It seems more like a see how it goes situation. I think we should make it a rule, though, that if anything feels wrong, or even slightly off, then it needs to be talked about and discussed."

"If it feels wrong at that moment... safe-word?" Colby asked curiously.

Don nodded. "Or even 'no' or 'stop'. I'd respect that and I know Ian would too."

"Yeah. I know you both would." Colby smiled.

"Anything else you think we might need to talk about?" Don looked between Colby and Ian.

"Can't think of anything right this instant," Ian shrugged.

Don glanced at Colby. "What about you, love?" he asked softly.

"Can't think of anything..." Colby shook his head.

"It sounds like we've got everything covered, then," Don commented. "Why don't I cook us lunch and then we can look into bigger places to move while we eat?"

"I'll help you," Ian offered. "Why don't you relax on the couch?" He turned toward Colby, knowing the younger man was still recovering.

"I can help too..." Colby hesitated.

"You don't need to, love." Don kissed his cheek. "I'll grab your laptop and you can have a look at listings," he suggested.

"Okay. Am I looking for three bed or one bed? And are we looking at just apartments, or houses too?" Colby asked.

"I think we should look at houses too," Don answered. "And three bedrooms would probably be good. Even if we wind up not needing them all the time."

Colby nodded. "Sounds good." He walked to the couch and sat, thanking Don when the older man retrieved his laptop for him. Soon, he was happily looking through the real-estate sections and bookmarking those he thought sounded promising.

It didn't take long for Don and Ian to finish preparing and cooking the food and then the three of them settled at the table to eat.

Later, after they'd finished eating and Ian was cleaning up, Colby brought his laptop to the kitchen table. "I found ten possibilities, but there are two that I really like. They are near work and not too far from Dad. So, our weekly dinners won't be hard to continue."

Don reached out to wrap his arm around Colby's waist, so that he could settle his lover on his lap. He pulled the other chair close to them, so that Ian could sit within touching range while they looked over the properties.

"I have the next week off before they expect me back working, so set up as many viewings as possible and I can look with you both." Ian gave an unconcerned grin. "Otherwise, you'll have to surprise me."

"Ugh... no surprises. Not when it comes to where we are living..." Colby shook his head and immediately sent an email to the realtor to set up appointments to view the houses they were all interested in.

"We all have to be happy with where we're going to live," Don agreed.

"Of course!" Ian agreed, with a teasing smile.

"Would you like to do anything specific this afternoon?" Don asked Colby, once the email had been sent.

"Not really. As long as we are together, I'm happy just staying home." Colby smiled.

"Given how sleepy the meds make you, staying home is probably a good idea..." Ian stated, gently running his hand through Colby's hair.

"We could watch a movie together?" Don suggested. "Either in the main room, or perhaps in the bedroom."

Colby nodded, stifling a yawn.

"Movie in the bedroom it is, then," Ian declared.

Nodding in agreement, Don stood, carefully lifting Colby into his arms.

Ian quickly walked ahead, opening the bedroom door and getting things ready for the other two.

Colby just snuggled.

Don settled on the bed with Colby, making sure to leave enough room for Ian to sit as well. "Any preference on the movie?"

"Something we don't have to think...or even see the whole movie to enjoy it. Since I think a certain someone is probably going to miss at least half of it," Ian said, giving Colby a fond look.

"Well, let's just go ahead and put on something we've seen several times before, then," Don said, proceeding to do just that.

They settled onto the bed, changing into pajamas first (just in case). Ian wasn't wrong. Colby was asleep thirty minutes into the movie.

** The End **


End file.
